Heavenly Army, Doraon dorai_ By Ooahan JS

A child, no older than four, lay sprawled on the floor in front of the butcher counter, as if lifeless. My heart nearly stopped.

“These heartless people… A kid is lying there, and no one even cares!” I shouted.
“Sir! Call 119, now!”

I screamed at the butcher and rushed toward the child, but before I could get close, a bunch of green onions hit me square in the back of the head.

I spun around, startled, and found myself facing a woman—her body still swollen, likely from postpartum changes.
She was covered in a cardigan and a flared skirt, as if trying to camouflage her figure.

“Don’t touch him,” she said curtly.

“What?”

“I said, don’t touch the kid.”

“But why? The child collapsed—”

Ignoring me, she marched over to the child, arms crossed, staring down at him with a terrifying intensity.

“Stop playing dead and get up. If you keep this up, I’ll leave you here for real.”

“Buy me a Yu-Gi-Oh! card pack.”

“I already got you one last time.”

“I want another one.”

“Not happening.”

“Then I’m staying dead.”

“This little…!”

The woman, clearly the child’s mother, didn’t argue further. Instead, she casually hoisted the “dead” child onto her shoulder, as if he weighed nothing, then picked up the fallen green onions and handed them to me.

“Sorry, could you put these back for me? My hands are full because of him.”

“Uh, sure…”

With that, she walked off, her child still slung over her shoulder, leaving me holding the green onions and standing in disbelief.

I looked at the green onions in my hand and thought, What did I even come here to buy?
Oh, right. Fermented seafood.
First things first—I returned the green onions to their rightful place and made my way to the pickled goods aisle.

I grabbed a jar of seasoned squid and another of spicy pollock roe, feeling a small sense of accomplishment.

Finally, it was time to check out. I was heading toward the register, content with my haul, when I saw him.

He stood out like a model on the cover of a city lifestyle magazine—something I’d never expect to see in this small provincial town.

Sleek and polished, he radiated a city-dweller’s charm, the likes of which I hadn’t encountered in my four years here.
Drawn by curiosity, I veered away from the empty register and headed toward his line instead, completely forgetting about the green onions again.

He had a slightly protruding belly, round hips, and a gray backpack slung over his shoulders. Perfect.

Ever since that con artist five years ago, my taste in men had changed. The tall, slim type was out. My new ideal? Him. Right there in front of me.

His soft curls, a style reminiscent of Bong Joon-ho, combined with his relaxed demeanor and sturdy build, sent a jolt through me.
Dressed in khaki slacks and a collared T-shirt, he looked ready to embark on a backpacking adventure at any moment.

I found myself mesmerized by his back.

Please, just turn around once. Let me see if your face is as Bong Joon-ho-ish as your vibe.

Almost as if he heard my plea, he turned.

…Oh. My. God.

He was twice as good-looking as Bong Joon-ho.

I couldn’t think straight. Dammit, what’s wrong with me?
Even after getting burned so badly by a man before, here I was, swooning again.

In the recesses of my mind, my bitter, scarred inner voice yelled,
“Hey, you idiot! Did you already forget the trauma of your first relationship? It’s only been five years!”

But another voice shot back,
“Quiet, you. That wasn’t me—it was past me. Didn’t you hear? A person’s atoms completely replace themselves every 30 years. I’m a different person now, and so are you. Shut up. I’m ready for romance again.”For this moment, my freshly forged self had completely forgotten the scars of the past.
And right now, I was ready to take the plunge.